Multimedia Production

The VMIL's video production suite features a studio-quality, non-linear digital video editing system. This system allows real-time, full-frame capture of video from a variety of formats. Users can edit the video as they would a word processing document, apply effects, titling, transitions and audio. Audio can be acquired and mastered in the lab's two sound-isolation rooms, using Digital Audio Tape (DAT) and a variety of other sound-enhancement equipment. Users can output to broadcast-quality formats (BetaSP and S-VHS) and consumer formats (VHS). Users can also encode finished projects into MPEG-2 using the VMIL's DVD Authoring System and layout DVD navigation, menus, and burn a final DVD that is compatible everywhere.

Project Documentation & Broadcast-Quality Video Production

Users can document research projects using video, audio and other on-screen media.  Output can be distributed on video tape, CD-ROM, DVD, or over the internet.   The VMIL runs Apple Final Cut Studio and other supporting software which offers users an industry-standard editing system for producing very high-quality, finished video projects.

Audio Recording/Editing/Noise Reduction

The VMIL houses two sound isolation booths for noise-free audio recording of video voice-overs, sound effects and other audio experiments.  In addition to providing a quiet environment for recording, they allow users to work with audio without interfering with other activities in the facility.

Data Capture (Continuous, Still-frame and Uncompressed)

Researchers from several fields are regularly capturing experiment data onto videotape.  The VMIL offers several options for capturing that data in real-time.  Data can be clips or still-frames.

Audio/Video Analysis

The equipment in the VMIL can be treated as a video analysis system, allowing users to evaluate their videos on a frame-by-frame basis.  Also, users can digitally capture the video and export it to any software analysis package.

Digital Format Conversion

Using a combination of hardware and software, users can produce digital vidoes in most formats, such as Quicktime, Windows Media, and Streaming media formats (i.e. RealVideo).  This allows users to post their videos on the internet, include them in presentations, or distribute them via CD-ROM or DVD.

Standards Format Conversion & Tape Dubbing

The VMIL offers users the ability to do standards conversion between PAL, SECAM and NTSC.  Tapes received from other countries with a different standard can be converted to NTSC for playback in North America, and vice-versa.  Instructions on using this equipment are posted in the rear of the facility and the VMIL wiki.

DVD Authoring, Mastering and Replication

Using our DVD authoring system, VMIL users have the tools to create any conceivable DVD title. Our system offers high-quality hardware-based real-time MPEG-2 encoding, Dolby Surround Audio encoding, and remote control of all professional VTR's in the facility. It is a simple matter to encode media, layout DVD menus and functionality, and finally burn a DVD that is compatible in nearly every set-top DVD-Video player or DVD-ROM drive. The VMIL offers every option available via the DVD 2.0 specification--including multiple camera angles, slideshows, multi-language tracks, 32 subpicture graphics, and more.